Hydraulic governing mechanism



Nov.2, 1943. r-.H. VAN NEST HYDRAULIC GOVERNING MECHANISM Filed Deo. 5, 1941 lverwtor: Farwcs I-I .Van Nest,

. Il l.

His Attorney.

f'inder and afbalanced type pilot valve v- The pilot valves at takes place.

- motor.

,Patented Nev- ,2 1*"13V IUNITED STATE 2,333.454W-- .e .Ml

HYDRAULIC GOVERNQINGMEHANISM h Y t Francis ILVan Nest, Marblehead, Masa, assigner i y to GeneralEl NewYork tric (iompany,v

a corporation of Application December 5,1941, Serial No. 421,765 (c1. 121-465) 2 Claims.

The present vinvention relates to hydraulic 'governing mechanisms including a hydraulic motor' having a piston movably disposed in a cylfor confjtrollingthe now of fluid `under pressure to the f motor v`and the discharge of fluid from-the motor. present generally used my be` y detailedview of a classified into orifice type and line-to-line posij -tive cut-off type valves. Each of the two types has spaced valve heads secured to a. stem and cooperatively arranged with ports in a casing.

Y The vorifice type pilot valve broadly constitutes 'a variable orifice for changing thev fluid pressure in a hydraulic motor. In this type offvalve the pressure chamber of the motor communicates continuously with the source of fluid pressure and upon movement of the valve heads a change of uid pressurein `the motor takes place. The rate of change of fluid pressure in the motor with respect to valve movement is a function of the area of the fixed orice and the characteristics of the pilot valve or so-called variable orifice. Y

In the line-to-line positive cut-off type of valve the two valve headsl are normally in a line-to-line position with their ports and thus normally substantially completely disconnect the motor from the source of supply of iluid pressure and also from .the discharge port of the valve. In this type of arrangement no continuous ow v. of fluid under pressure thro-ugh the pilot valve The arrangement accordingly is somewhat more economical. On the other hand, a slight movement of the valve causes a considerable change of fluid pressure in the hydraulic Withthis type of valve very little can be done tovary the rate ofchange of uid pres- ;Jsure with respect to pilot valve movement. ..Ihe valve therefore is very sensitive to small changes in speed or other operating condition f a machine to be controlled which under cerin conditions is undesirable.

proved construction and arrangement of hygdraulic governing mechanisms, in particular an improvedL construction and arrangement of 'i y. pilot valves for controlling the hydraulic motor whereby the advantages of both types of valves above discussed are attained.

vFor a consideration of what I believe to be novel andv my invention, attention is directed `to the' following description and the claims'apnpended ,theretoin connection 'with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 illustrates a governing,

mechanism embodyingmyinvention; Fig`:2 is a 'source of iiuid under Vpositive cut-off type.

part of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is an explanatory view.

The arrangement of Fig. l comprises an elastic uid turbine I0 with an inlet valve Il for controlling the flow of fluid to the turbine. The valve l I is controlled by a speed-governing mechanism in response to changes of turbine speed. This mechanism includes a speed governorl2 driven from the turbine and connected to a rst pilot valve I3for controlling the iiow of iluid to a first motor I4. The motor I4 positions a. second pilot valve I5, which latter controls the now of operating fluid to a second motor I 6 -ior positioning the valve II. "The rst pilot valve I 3`is of the conventional It comprises an outer casing II which is connected by a vpipe I8 to a pressure -and by another pipe I9 to the motor I4. A bushing 20 is slidably disposed within the cylindrica1 casing I3 and forms inlet and discharge ports 2l and 23. A valve stem24 with spaced valve heads-25 and 26 is movably disposed within the bushing-20 and connected vto the governor I2. 'I'he valve heads 25 and 26 are arrangedin cooperative relation with the ports 2I andl 23 respectively. In the position shown there is no appreciable flow of oil IllV as the ports 2| and 25 and 26 respectively. When the stem 24 is moved downward, port 23 is opened, allowing oil to drain from the motor I4 through the pipe I9. The hydraulic motor I4 has a cylinder 21 with a piston 28 movably disposed therein and biased in downward direction by a compression spring29. VThe draining of oil from the motor- I4 lowers the pressure on the piston 28 and causes it to move downward. When the stem 24 is moved upward, fluid is admitted to the motor I4 by the opening of port 2I, causing a rise in pressure on the piston 2B which causes 'it to move upward.

The piston 28 of the motor I4 has a stem 30 connected to the right-hand end of a lever 3I.

The latter has a left-hand. end pivotally con- .nected to a link 32 whichat its right-hand end hand end is vispivoted to a stem 330i the valve II and at its ypleit-hand endis connected by a link 34 to a fulcrum 35 formed on the pilot-valve casing I'I. The bushing 20 ofthe pilot valve I'I is pivotally connected to` an intermediate point of another lever. 36 which at its left-hand end is connected by a link 31 to-a. fulcrum 38 and at its righti pivoted by a link 39 tov an intermediate point of the aforementionedlever 11H,A The iirst pilot valve II andthe first hydraulic motor serve to. control the position of the second pilot valve I5. The latter broadly includes a casing 40 with an inlet port 4I and an outlet port 42. The port 4I has a lower or cut-of! edge 4Ia and the port 42 has an upper or cut-off edge 42a. The inlet port 4I is connected by a pipe 48 to a source of fluid under pressure and the outlet; or drain port 42 is connected toa drain or discharge pipe 44.v A third port' 45 formed by the pilot valve casing 48 intermediate the ports 4I and 42 communicates with a pressure chamber 46 oi The ow of operating iluid through the aforementioned ports is controlled by a valve member having a stem 41 with spaced valve heads 48 and 49 cooperatively arranged with the ports 4I and 42 respectively. The stem 41 is pivotally connected to the lever 3I.

The hydraulic motor I6 has a cylinder with a piston U movably disposed therein and forming with the cylinder the aforementioned pressure chamber 46. The piston I5 has a stein which forms a continuation o'f the turbine valve stem 33. The stem 33 is biased in closing direction of the valve II by a compression spring 5I.

The pilot valve I5 according to my invention is arranged normally to function as an orifice type mechanism, permitting a continuous flow of fluid between its inlet and outlet ports, and to cause a slow rate of change of fluid pressure in the motor with respect to movement of the pilot valve heads and finally to act as a positive cut-of! mechanism to disconnect either the inlet or the outlet port of the pilot valve during i certain operating conditions. To this end the pilot valve head 48 has a main cylindric-al portion 52 and an auxiliary portion 53 spaced from the main portion 52 and forming a groove 54 between them. The portion 53 has a plurality oi! circumferentially spaced slots 55. The lower pilot valve head 49 has a main cylindrical portion 56 and another conical portion 51 forming a continuation of the cylindrical portion 56 and facing the upper pilot valve head. The adjacent faces of the two pilot valve heads are spaced a distance marked 58 which is smaller than the distance 59 between the cut-ofi edges of inlet port 4I and the outlet port 42. The distance 59 between the adjacent edges of the two ports is about equal to the distance 68 between the lower face of the main portion 52 of the upper head and the upper face of the conical portion 51 of the lower head, and also about equal to the distance 6I between the lower face of the portion 53 of the upper head and the upper` face of the cylindrical portion 56 of the lower head. From another viewpoint, the lower face of the portion 53 is spaced from the lower face of the portion 52 a distance equal to the axial length of the conical portion 51 of the lower head.

The pilot valve I5 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in its normal operating position corresponding to the line-to-line positive cut-oil position of an ordinary pilot valve. In this position, as pointed out above, a small amount of operating fluid is circulated through the valve entering the inlet port 4I and passing through the annular groove 54 and the slots 55 into the space 62 formed between the intermediate portion of the valve member and the casing, whence the fluid is discharged through the small clearance 63 formed between the portion 51 of the lower valve head and the cut-ofi edge 42a oi the drain port 42. Under normal operating conditionsthe small movements of the pilot valve stem 41 are insuillcient to bring either the lowerfface of the the second hydraulic motor I6.

head 52 or the lower face oi the ring 53 opposite the cut-oil edge 4Ia of port 4I. Slight movement of the valve will not aiect the flow of fluid through the slots 55. Under such conditions the pressure applied to the piston 50 is controlled entirely by the clearance at 63 since iiuid can enter ,the chamber 62 only through the ilxedsarea of the slots 55. -Thus a relatively slow rate of change of pressure with respect to pilot valve travel, as illustrated by a curve 64 in Fig. 3, can be obtained.

Under abnormal conditions larger travels of the pilot valve are produced and upon a large upward movement o f the pilot valve the clearance 63 is reduced to a minimum, thus effecting an increase in pressure in the space 62'. The restriction to ilow from the port 4I to the space 62 remains about constant until the lower face of the portion 53 of the upper valve head leaves the cut-ofi edge 4Ia'of the inlet port 4I. At

. the same time the main portion 56 of the lower valve head engages the cut-off edge 42a of the drain port 42, thus completely disconnecting the drain port. During such condition all of the oil entering the inlet port 4I is forced through the port 45 to the pressure chamber 46 of the hydraulic motor I6. The valve then operates like an ordinary pilot valve.

Similarly, during downward movement oi the valve heads the restriction 63 is gradually increased, thus causing a decrease in pressure in the space 62 and draining of fluid from the pressure chamber 46 of the hydraulic motor I6. In a certain position during downward movement the cylindrical main portion 52 of the upper valve head engages the cut-oil edge lla of the inlet port 4I, thus completely disconnecting the source of pressure from the hydraulic motor. The increased annular clearance 63 at the lower valve head then causes fast draining of fluid from the pressure chamber 46. The characteristics of the pilot valve are illustrated in Fig. 3 in which the curve 64 shows the relation between pilot valve travel and the pressure controlled by the pilot valve, that is, the pressure in the pressure chamber 46. The dash-dotted curve 65 shows the same relation with respect to the ordinary line-toline positive cut-off valve.

'I'he operation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 as a whole is as follows: An increase in speed causes downward movement of the valve heads 25, 26 whereby the pressure in the pressure chamber of the motor I4 is reduced and the piston 28 is moved downward by action of the compression spring 29, thus turning the lever 3l in clockwise direction about its left-hand end and moving the pilot valve heads 48, 49 of the second pilot valve I5 downward. This causes a drop in pressure in the pressure chamber 46 of the second hydraulic motor I6 and upward movement of the stem 33 and closing movement of the valve II by action of the compression spring 5I. Downward turning movement of the lever 3l about its lefthand end also causes downward turning movement of the lever 36 about its left-hand end whereby the bushing 28 of the rst pilot valve I3 is moved downward to restore the normal relative position between the valve heads 25, 2'6 and the bushing 20. Likewise, upward movement of the valve stem 33 causes clockwise turning movement of the lever 3I about its right-hand end, thereby restoring the valve heads 48, 49 of the second pilot valve head I5 to their normal position shown.

Upon a decrease in speed the operation of the mechanism is similar except that the various elements move in a direction opposite to that described above to eiect opening of the valve I I.

With a pilot valve according to my invention a small dead band is introduced so that the governor will not respond to very small changes in speed or other operating condition as may be caused for example by the normal pulsations in torque of a propeller shaft of a ship. It is well known that all hydraulic motors of the piston type have a certain amount of inherent friction requiring a definite change in oil pressure to overcome the friction and to cause movement of the piston. This change in pressure may vary in practical applications from to 15 lbs. per square inch. When a pilot valve with a slow rate of change of pressure with respect to movement is used in conjunction with such hydraulic motor the pilot valve must be moved an appreciable amount before any movement of the motor piston is produced, thus introducing the desired dead band mentioned above.

Thus, with my invention I have accomplished an improved construction and arrangement of pilot valves for hydraulic governing mechanisms for directly or remotely controlling a machine element such as a turbine valve in response to changes in operating conditions. A valve according to my invention broadly has two elements movable relative to each other, one forming a cylindrical bore with spaced inlet and outlet ports and the other element has a stem with two'spaced valve heads in cooperative relation with the ports. The heads are constructed and arranged normally to permit a small oW of operating iiuid through the valve and upon movement of the heads to cause a slow change of uid pressure in the valve and thehydraulic motor connected thereto. In case a governing mechanism, as in the example described above, includes several servo motors controlled by pilot valves, it is sufficient if one of the valves is constructed in accordance with my invention and the other valves may be of the ordinary type,

that is, either of the orifice type or line-to-line positive cut-off type.

Having described the method of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus .which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A pilot valve having a casing with a bore and axially spaced ports, and a stem with axially spaced heads slidably disposed in the bore in cooperative relation with the ports, each head having a main cylindrical portion, the main portions having adjacent ends spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the cut-off edges of` the ports, one of the valve heads having another cylindrical portion with axial slots spaced from the main portion to form a groove between them, the other head having a conical extension facing said slotted cylindrical portion.

. 2. A pivot valve for controlling a hydraulic motor comprising a cylindrical casing having spaced inlet and outlet ports, a stem with two valve heads for controlling the ow of fluid through said ports, the valve heads each having a cylindrical portion, said portions having adi'- jacent faces spaced a distance slightly greater than that between the cut-oil edges of the ports in the normal position of the valve substantially to cover the respective ports, and means associated with at least one of the valve heads and facing the other head for eicting a gradual change in ilow of operating fluid upon the valve being moved away from its normal operating position, said means comprising an axially slotted cylindrical portion formed on the valve stem and slightly spaced from one of the lrst mentioned cylindrical portions to form an an nular groove therewith.

' FRANCIS H. VAN NEST. 

